Natalie Portman Talks About Juggling Career And Parenting In Harper’s Bazaar

Natalie Portman, mother of 4-year-old Aleph Portman-Millepied, discusses balancing motherhood and a career Harper’s Bazaar’s August issue. The actress also talks about embracing French culture, saying, “It’s magical!”

“But the cultures are different in ways you don’t even realize. And there’s stuff you don’t know you’ll miss until you’re away,” the Black Swan star continues. “Like indoor gyms where kids can just run around and jump. They don’t have those there.”

“[In Paris], if you’re running around on the playground chasing your kid and playing a game, people think you’re nuts.”

Portman tells Harper’s Bazaar, “Very early on, I asked [Cate Blanchett] about being a parent. I said, ‘How do you do it? You’re a mom. You’re the best at what you do.’”

“She said, ‘You just do. Stressing about it doesn’t help.’”

Apparently, Portman’s husband, Benjamin Millepied, whom she co-starred with in Black Swan, admitted to feeling the same as his wife, saying, “Most men I know are dealing with the same issues. They say they feel like if they work too hard they won’t have enough time with their families.

“Maybe those questions need to be asked of men, too. Maybe the men need better questions,” the 38-year-old French choreographer added.